The company I work for suggests ~60 hours per year of training. In general I take a split of 2/3 new content and 1/3 known. The rationale for new content is clear but why do I refresh on the “known”?
The world turns, technology evolves
The first obvious answer is “programs and technology changes.” The MathWorks releases a new version of MATLAB / Simulink every 6 months and in each iteration there are new features and capabilities. Taking training courses online or (in the pre/post covid world) in person gives me a chance to learn about these features.
Refresh your view
No matter how long you have worked in a field there is both an opportunity to learn about parts of the field you have not worked in before and to refresh and change how you see and understand the field. (Note in this famous image, do you see the young or old woman? The arrow holds the key; is it a mouth or a necklace?)
In taking a course you learn both from going over the content and from hearing a person explain it in a way you may not have thought of before.
My training mix
And so what will I be studying this year and why?
- Object oriented programing refresher: As more of my customers are using C++ as their development language, running through a C++ class and object fundamentals will improve my integration suggestions.
- Machine learning for predictive maintenance: The intersection of data analysis and computational methods is a logical extension of my existing skill set as well as providing a clear focus for the Machine Learning.
- Fuzzy logic controls systems: In all honesty, it is just an area that I have been interested in for a long time and decided this would be the year to study it.
What is your training mix?